Thrice The Brinded Cat

A Rest Week I

Week of Sunday Reapingday 12 – Sunday, Reapingday 19 CY593

Sunday:

After a busy few days of adventuring we decided to stay closer to home to work on some personal projects we all had been putting off.

Gerran went out at night to gather information and to alleviate the burden being carried by our fair citizens by relieving them of some coinage. During these nightly adventures he determined the main source of gossip in the town is — who is sleeping with whom. However there were a few rumors that caught his interest.

Janeer Everdon: one of the kidnap victims. Before being kidnapped she was an assistant cook at the orphanage.

Sam Kelton: a sailor and fisherman, two days ago saw a tentacled beast rise out of the Crater Lake.

Last week, according to Efrin, Hookface was spotted flying over the hills to the North by a group of adventurers.

From a bartender: The Flood Festival is a front to fund a Hextor cult’s secret army of mercenaries hidden below in caverns below the city.

Melfesent Tellwall said that a friend of hers has a mother who saw Triel Everhesrt down by the lake yesterday. A wall guard who tried to assassinate the mayor. The guards who escorted her died of their wounds. House Betrix is lead by a child. Her parents went crazy. Her aunt and uncle assumed control of the house. The Aunt and Uncle captured Triel but died from their wounds. She escaped from jail two years ago.

During the day Gerran had been dealing with the renovations to his house ss well as reopening Orak’s bathhouse. Work on the house was going slow but the bathhouse was up and running. With all the bath maidens back, it was business as usual.

Braedon began to work on making the holy water for the The Flood Festival play. He then went with Listens to Wind to make arrangements to take etiquette classes and dance lessons for the The Demonskar Ball. He also looked into getting the bilge pumps for the play. At the Academy Braedon met with the etiquette teacher’s secretaries. He found out there were spaces open; 10 gold per lesson per person. He also found out they only teach one lesson per day. Braedon and Listens signed up for dance and etiquette lessons three times a week for the next six weeks.

The instructor came to the Church of Pelor. The dance instructor had a wealth of knowledge about the ball. He told them there are three main dances to learn. Braedon was required to learn the final dance, the Dance of the Demonskar. During the lesson Braedon learned the best costume could be found at Grand Linen, Fine Leathers, the Minstrel hall or, if you were too cheap, you could go to Tygot’s Old Things. Or if he preferred he could go to Sasserine.

Moonday:

On Moonday he went to Fine Leathers to look at costumes. After much discussion and review, Braedon rented a mid-range costume and then ordered another costume that would be custom made. He then rented the Ruby coach at Cauldron Transport.

In addition to taking lessons, Listens to Wind talked to Patch at the Orphanage about Terrem, the young boy we saved. However Patch, being a bit prejudiced, wouldn’t talk to him. So Listens went to see Edith about the young orphan boy. Edith was so taken with Listens she took him out to lunch three times this week.

During the lunches, Listens learned Terrem’s parents were plantation owners who were slain by orcs. But these orcs were unusual; these orcs were simply murdering plantation owners and didn’t loot the places or destroy the bodies. Edith knew a little about Terrem’s parents. She mentioned they produced tobacco and pineapple on their plantation and they were from Sasserine. Actually Terrem’s mother may have been from Thexlan.

During these lunches Listens also learned that a band of evil cultists had arrived in Cauldron and have been kidnapping people and sacrificing them to a god with two heads and tentacles for arms. Listen decided to write to Sasserine or Thexlan to find out more about Terrem’s parents.

Since he was unable to write he asked Kenric for help. Kenric wrote a letter to the Church of Kord in Sasserine about Terrem and then Asfelkir Hranleurt sent it off for Listens.

Kenric continued to work on making scrolls and wands. He took some time off only to pick up the odd jobs at the Coy Nixie to help prepare for the ball. While there he noticed there were more laborers; wood, plaster, tile and cloth workers now. The cloth was the same stuff the mages had been placing spells on the previous week. Since most of the magic had been taken care of, Kenric was given a task to create some sort of structure; he was given laborers and plans. Kenric also noticed fewer wizards were there this week and he saw two people get fired by the foreman. The foreman, Huskell Llanal, was a universality mage.

Meanwhile I cleaned up the forge and continued to work on my Journeyman’s weapon. My boss was happy to send apprentices with me to work at the forge. He sent two young male dwarves; Bran Etri and Broke Fathmrie. As I was working throughout the week I was never alone. Not including the dwarves there was always a creeper in the corner watching. I don’t see it but I know it is there. And now and then Yathaub would come in and sit by the fire. He’s toned down and seems to enjoy the sound of the hammer.

Godsday:

During the week Listens came down to help as well. On Godsday before I headed down to the forge I was met by a dwarf named Otmund Snægnúp. He was dressed in fine coat and finery. He was a bit poofy. He was the stone master I sent for from Sasserine. By the time I showed him the shrine he was in awe. Truly amazed by the site of the shrine he informed me he wouldn’t charge me to move it.

As we left the bathhouse we ran into the human stone master, Argos Bes. He was mad that Otmund was there but I simply informed him I was getting bids. When I showed Otmund the Hold he was amazed. When he told me he was staying at the Drunken Morkoth Inn, I suggested he stay in the Hold if he would like. Yathaub seemed ok with this and even bowed to Otmund and stated, “I’m at your service.”

Soon Maavu showed up. He owns three or four warehouses in town and he is the head of the Merchant’s Guild. Down in the hold Maavu and Otmund talked about the taxes. Otmund offered to pay the tax and handed the bag to Maavu. He looked at the bag and then handed it back to Otmund and said, “As far as I am concerned, the tax has been paid.” After that he left and Otmund told me to make sure to keep Maavu as a friend.

Freeday:

Before I got to Kegan’s, Phalian Gurnezarn came up to me and said, “Found this for you.”

The package was wrapped in greasy brownish paper. It smelled wonderful and turned out to be the finest roll of leather I had ever seen. It might be for the masterwork. I went to Gerran’s mom’s place to see if she could tell me more about it. Turns out it was the hide of a bulette. This is unusual.

Kenric got mail at the Academy. When he opened the mail tube he found two scrolls: Mount and Color Spray. He had no idea who it was from.

Gerran also received a mysterious package at his house. A small glass vial with fine grey ash inside. LTW received a package at the Church. He opened it up and saw 30 arrows. 10 were made of steel and the arrow heads had an etching of a claw. These were 10 masterwork arrows, too. Braedon received a package containing 10 pounds of silver dust.

Starday:

Gerran noticed three visitors at his house. Tyro, Fario and Fellion. “I’ve heard of this reconstruction project,” Tyro said.

They continued to talk about the prospects of the building. Gerran took him on a tour. During the tour Tyro offered some advice, “There are advantages of being a religious man and owning a brothel. This corner might be an interesting place for a shrine. Not to a particular god, a generic shrine to any god.” Tyro then went on to describe a simple corner to hold a shrine. “This is my offering,” he said and handed Gerran a bag of coins.

Kenric tried to find the gnome Bellterton. The gnome went on about how the gnomes of Sasserine had never forgotten Jzadirune. They sent him to reclaim it and he has full intent to take it back and give it back to all gnomes so they can move in. But it was obvious he wanted to be king, too. He was aggressive but was willing to accept any help. Currently he is trying to get the council and the mayor to agree to give him Jzadirune. He would give them two full seasons to agree this. This appeared to be a quagmire of political intrigue.

Listens to Wind signed up for the Kord games that were to be held during the Flood Festival. He asked The Glump if they need help for security. Asfelkir was pleased to learn Listens had signed up for the games and told him it is customary for the Elparg Champion to face The Adder in this competition.